Birth Story 2
To really understand my excitement about this birth, of course, you must know the story behind it - my first birth story.
After talking with different people, who have more than one child, I knew that the second birth can be entirely different than the first. Sure, mostly they say it should be faster (not necessarily easier), but even that is not a given. You never know with such unpredictable and mysterious thing as birth.
So in some way it was surprising.. When I woke up at 7:00 (am) on 30th of December (finally! After all that waiting!) with some light, but noticeable, and perhaps quite regular contractions. It was quite similar to how the first birth had started. I was, of course, excited, that something is finally happening (not too excited, as I had mistakenly thought that something is starting already a couple of times before), and continued sleeping, as this time around I knew it's important to save your energy for later. I was awoken by the contractions a couple of times. But around 10:30, when we all got up, it seemed to have stopped.. And there wasn't much going on for the rest of the day - had quite an ordinary day, going for a walk with Adelaide etc. Once in a while I had a stronger, more painful contraction, but nothing regular. Up until the evening, when around 19:00 I went to take a bath. Then it was clear, that some regular contractions are happening, I had to breath through them, they were perhaps some 7 minutes apart. Exactly like the last time! Only this time I knew that these are still nothing.. So I thought there is still plenty of time, perhaps somewhere near the morning could expect something more.. Because, my biggest goal was to stay home as long as possible, and biggest hope to avoid any stimulation.
After bath I was making ice-cream for the New Year's Eve. Not much of progress, which made me even feel quite down.. Around midnight we were watching a TV show with my Mother-in-law, who was here already for a week to babysit Adelaide, and I hadn't told her yet, that something is going on. Then the contractions got a bit more painful, harder to get through them, so I finally told her. She, of course, got so nervous and said we must go to the hospital! Which annoyed me, because that was the last thing I wanted. I told her to go sleep and that I will try to lay down as well, only we put the bags ready in case. And Mr. Husband still wanted to take a shower before going anywhere.
Mostly to just get some privacy I went to lay down in the bed, but it got pretty clear, that it's not anymore possible. It had gotten quite hard to just simply breath through the contractions.
I went back out from the bedroom, Mr. Husband was totally calmly sitting at his laptop and drinking tea, and I said - what?! You haven't taken that shower yet?! C'mon then! He looked at me totally shocked. :D
While he was showering, I put the ice-cream in the freezer, which was finally ready, got dressed and meanwhile measured the intervals between the contractions, and they were 3 minutes apart! Also, quite strong. Then I realized we really must go now.. I didn't want to wait quite till 1 minute apart.
Mother-in-law said we have waited too long.. I answered, that hopefully we again don't come too early..
We started driving to the hospital around 2:00 (am). It wasn't even so bad to sit in the car, as I was afraid, but suddenly the contractions got even way stronger.. So strong, that I didn't anymore communicate, didn't answer to Mr. Husband, as he was saying or asking something.. I measured the intervals only, and they were consistently 2 min apart. I had to breathe through with added sound (I don't give birth quietly, I find the added sound to exhaling the only way how to do it, as it was taught in the pre-birth class). I didn't notice much through the drive, but it seemed surprisingly short. We arrived to the Birth House a bit before 3:00. It was quite a big problem to get out of the car.. And to the door of the hospital.
The staff, when seeing us, was nice and a lot more understanding and acting quicker than the first time. I was checked, and I was 6 cm dilated!!! Yay! :) I exactly had hoped for 6 cm.. As it would mean, that things are happening on their own, most important to get over the first 4-5 cm..
Then we got to our room. I could move around, at first was standing and squatting, things were progressing fast. Midwife said: a little bit more. Then I tried the position in the bed on all fours, head in the beanbag, waters started dripping then. But also that wasn't too comfortable, so I went to lie on my side, Mr. Husband holding one leg up, midwife already observing the situation. At one point the waters broke and splashed her all over! It was a weird feeling, also that I hadn't experienced before, as my waters were broken the last time. Then it got a lot more painful, baby was moving in the birth canal, and I could feel every tiny bit. I got an urge to push, and turned out, it was ok to push already. I had read about this, and that's exactly how it was for me - if in the first birth pushing didn't hurt at all, it was the easiest part, then now it was hurting a lot, I could somehow feel everything, also a horrible burning feeling. At this point I was screaming too, quite much, I though I screamed kinda the wrong way, but the midwife was all the time saying: good job! At one point I asked, what's that!?, and she said: the head is half way out, and do I want to touch it. And first I didn't even, but I did, and it was so weird.. big, hairy and soft! The contractions were even quite short, I thought, I could have pushed longer, and the breaks in the middle seemed to last forever.. So different from last time, when was obviously a bit overstimulated. ..and after just a couple more moments, out she was! Not as suddenly all in one piece as Adelaide, but still - oh my God - the best, most relieving feeling in the world! She was born at 4:01 and was put on my breasts.. so tiny! :) I really thought, that she is super tiny..
That's why I was really shocked, when later on they finally weighed her and said she's 4,065 kg! :D (An ultrasound I had had on 28th had promised a totally normal, small baby..)
I was feeling totally clear and casual immediately after she was out, talking to the midwife and saying, that this was the most easiest and fastest birth in the world, wasn't it?! :) I was just so happy about it. I was totally fine, only cervix had teared again, and could walk myself right away.
We had a nice time in the birth room still, bonding with Jasmiina, she was nursing for the first time.. The midwife and all the staff was amazing, so helpful and supportive. The midwife was the one, who switched off the lights in the room (I couldn't just think about stuff like that anymore), so it was quite dark there and nicer for Jasmiina to be born.
We got to our family room, all slept for a couple of hours, and then found out, that we can go home soon. :)
I'm so happy about this birth experience.. Obviously, I am not the kind of woman, who will give birth quietly, in some piece and harmony.. For me, it's one crazy thing to do, a crazy powerful thing.. And I couldn't wish for a better birth story this time.
And, what's interesting even to myself.. Now, after this experience, I see my first birth in a totally different light! As you can read in the first story, there was some disappointment and some not so good feelings about it, it was long and hard and not quite how I had imagined.
But now, having had sort-of easy birth, I am so, so thankful for the first birth experience! It was just so special. This time we were all totally in our right minds, quite cheery, immediately after. It was weird - to feel so fresh and not even that tired. So the euphoria afterwards wasn't that big either. In the first birth, obviously - from having done it for 24 hours, crazy hard and not having slept - we were already floating in some other reality.. And the feelings after birth were seriously like being high somewhere, something.. unique, and something that I am probably not going to experience ever again in my life. The hard experience of the first birth changed me as a person.. It made me feel special, like I came out from it a different person.
And now, only after Jasmiina's birth, I can see it.. I can see, that it was how it was meant to be that first time, and it was the best possible way, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. That's how God works, and it's amazing.
After talking with different people, who have more than one child, I knew that the second birth can be entirely different than the first. Sure, mostly they say it should be faster (not necessarily easier), but even that is not a given. You never know with such unpredictable and mysterious thing as birth.
So in some way it was surprising.. When I woke up at 7:00 (am) on 30th of December (finally! After all that waiting!) with some light, but noticeable, and perhaps quite regular contractions. It was quite similar to how the first birth had started. I was, of course, excited, that something is finally happening (not too excited, as I had mistakenly thought that something is starting already a couple of times before), and continued sleeping, as this time around I knew it's important to save your energy for later. I was awoken by the contractions a couple of times. But around 10:30, when we all got up, it seemed to have stopped.. And there wasn't much going on for the rest of the day - had quite an ordinary day, going for a walk with Adelaide etc. Once in a while I had a stronger, more painful contraction, but nothing regular. Up until the evening, when around 19:00 I went to take a bath. Then it was clear, that some regular contractions are happening, I had to breath through them, they were perhaps some 7 minutes apart. Exactly like the last time! Only this time I knew that these are still nothing.. So I thought there is still plenty of time, perhaps somewhere near the morning could expect something more.. Because, my biggest goal was to stay home as long as possible, and biggest hope to avoid any stimulation.
After bath I was making ice-cream for the New Year's Eve. Not much of progress, which made me even feel quite down.. Around midnight we were watching a TV show with my Mother-in-law, who was here already for a week to babysit Adelaide, and I hadn't told her yet, that something is going on. Then the contractions got a bit more painful, harder to get through them, so I finally told her. She, of course, got so nervous and said we must go to the hospital! Which annoyed me, because that was the last thing I wanted. I told her to go sleep and that I will try to lay down as well, only we put the bags ready in case. And Mr. Husband still wanted to take a shower before going anywhere.
Mostly to just get some privacy I went to lay down in the bed, but it got pretty clear, that it's not anymore possible. It had gotten quite hard to just simply breath through the contractions.
I went back out from the bedroom, Mr. Husband was totally calmly sitting at his laptop and drinking tea, and I said - what?! You haven't taken that shower yet?! C'mon then! He looked at me totally shocked. :D
While he was showering, I put the ice-cream in the freezer, which was finally ready, got dressed and meanwhile measured the intervals between the contractions, and they were 3 minutes apart! Also, quite strong. Then I realized we really must go now.. I didn't want to wait quite till 1 minute apart.
Mother-in-law said we have waited too long.. I answered, that hopefully we again don't come too early..
We started driving to the hospital around 2:00 (am). It wasn't even so bad to sit in the car, as I was afraid, but suddenly the contractions got even way stronger.. So strong, that I didn't anymore communicate, didn't answer to Mr. Husband, as he was saying or asking something.. I measured the intervals only, and they were consistently 2 min apart. I had to breathe through with added sound (I don't give birth quietly, I find the added sound to exhaling the only way how to do it, as it was taught in the pre-birth class). I didn't notice much through the drive, but it seemed surprisingly short. We arrived to the Birth House a bit before 3:00. It was quite a big problem to get out of the car.. And to the door of the hospital.
The staff, when seeing us, was nice and a lot more understanding and acting quicker than the first time. I was checked, and I was 6 cm dilated!!! Yay! :) I exactly had hoped for 6 cm.. As it would mean, that things are happening on their own, most important to get over the first 4-5 cm..
Then we got to our room. I could move around, at first was standing and squatting, things were progressing fast. Midwife said: a little bit more. Then I tried the position in the bed on all fours, head in the beanbag, waters started dripping then. But also that wasn't too comfortable, so I went to lie on my side, Mr. Husband holding one leg up, midwife already observing the situation. At one point the waters broke and splashed her all over! It was a weird feeling, also that I hadn't experienced before, as my waters were broken the last time. Then it got a lot more painful, baby was moving in the birth canal, and I could feel every tiny bit. I got an urge to push, and turned out, it was ok to push already. I had read about this, and that's exactly how it was for me - if in the first birth pushing didn't hurt at all, it was the easiest part, then now it was hurting a lot, I could somehow feel everything, also a horrible burning feeling. At this point I was screaming too, quite much, I though I screamed kinda the wrong way, but the midwife was all the time saying: good job! At one point I asked, what's that!?, and she said: the head is half way out, and do I want to touch it. And first I didn't even, but I did, and it was so weird.. big, hairy and soft! The contractions were even quite short, I thought, I could have pushed longer, and the breaks in the middle seemed to last forever.. So different from last time, when was obviously a bit overstimulated. ..and after just a couple more moments, out she was! Not as suddenly all in one piece as Adelaide, but still - oh my God - the best, most relieving feeling in the world! She was born at 4:01 and was put on my breasts.. so tiny! :) I really thought, that she is super tiny..
That's why I was really shocked, when later on they finally weighed her and said she's 4,065 kg! :D (An ultrasound I had had on 28th had promised a totally normal, small baby..)
I was feeling totally clear and casual immediately after she was out, talking to the midwife and saying, that this was the most easiest and fastest birth in the world, wasn't it?! :) I was just so happy about it. I was totally fine, only cervix had teared again, and could walk myself right away.
We had a nice time in the birth room still, bonding with Jasmiina, she was nursing for the first time.. The midwife and all the staff was amazing, so helpful and supportive. The midwife was the one, who switched off the lights in the room (I couldn't just think about stuff like that anymore), so it was quite dark there and nicer for Jasmiina to be born.
We got to our family room, all slept for a couple of hours, and then found out, that we can go home soon. :)
I'm so happy about this birth experience.. Obviously, I am not the kind of woman, who will give birth quietly, in some piece and harmony.. For me, it's one crazy thing to do, a crazy powerful thing.. And I couldn't wish for a better birth story this time.
And, what's interesting even to myself.. Now, after this experience, I see my first birth in a totally different light! As you can read in the first story, there was some disappointment and some not so good feelings about it, it was long and hard and not quite how I had imagined.
But now, having had sort-of easy birth, I am so, so thankful for the first birth experience! It was just so special. This time we were all totally in our right minds, quite cheery, immediately after. It was weird - to feel so fresh and not even that tired. So the euphoria afterwards wasn't that big either. In the first birth, obviously - from having done it for 24 hours, crazy hard and not having slept - we were already floating in some other reality.. And the feelings after birth were seriously like being high somewhere, something.. unique, and something that I am probably not going to experience ever again in my life. The hard experience of the first birth changed me as a person.. It made me feel special, like I came out from it a different person.
And now, only after Jasmiina's birth, I can see it.. I can see, that it was how it was meant to be that first time, and it was the best possible way, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. That's how God works, and it's amazing.
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| First smile.. minutes after being born. |
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